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Where Music and Munchies Meet

great comfort food

So today is Thursday and I’m posting about what I created on Tuesday. Does that tell you how my week has gone so far? Anyway’s, Tuesday my wife and I had to babysit our two grandchildren Wednesday Renee 5 (Yes, that’s her real name, but we call her Winnie) and our grandson Finn who’s 2 and comparable to an F5 tornado with legs and arms. I had thawed out some chicken without any intent on how I was going to prepare it and I knew we wouldn’t be eating until later on that evening after my daughter came home and took the kids upstairs. (we live in a 2 family home and they live upstairs) so it was going to be a “wing it” kind of supper.

I made the kids a couple of grilled cheeses (Winnie says that my grilled cheeses are the best in the whole world) and rummaged through the fridge to get inspired. I came upon a small, unopened, container of Ricotta cheese, a pound of bacon and some fresh mushrooms. I also had a red pepper and some sweet onions as I always do, and despite the kids running around and my granddaughter asking me one hundred times if she could help me cook (she loves to cook), the creative juices began to flow and the light bulb above my head went form dim to bright.

I was going to make “Ricotta stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon.” Let the creating begin . . .

“Ingredients”

3-4 medium/large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (you want them large enough to be able to cut a pocket)

Small container (about 1-1/12 cups) Ricotta cheese

1 lb bacon (about 10-12 strips)

1 onion (I used sweet) chopped

1/2 red pepper chopped

1 cup mushrooms (any kind) chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

Salt, pepper or your favorite seasoning for the chicken

Butter (about 2 tbsp)

Toothpicks (optional and obviously not to eat)

“Putting It All Together”

Set oven to 350 degrees

Saute onions, peppers and mushrooms in pan with butter just until softened. Add garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Remove from stove top and let cool for a few minutes.

Veggie’s

Using a paring knife, start at one end of chicken breast and gently cut to the other side to form a pocket. Do not cut all the way through. Season both sides of chicken breast.

In a small bowl combine Ricotta cheese and cooked veggies. Mix well

On a piece of wax paper, lay out 3 strips of bacon

Take chicken breast and using a spoon stuff pocket with Ricotta mixture.

Place the stuffed breast over the 3 strips of bacon and bring the ends up to meet on top. Secure with toothpicks.

Place on cookie sheet or cast iron pan and then repeat process for remaining breasts.

Ricotta Mixture

bacon wrapped chicken before cooking

If you have any Ricotta or bacon left over, I just place it on top of chicken before baking it. (optional)

Place in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ricotta stuffed chicken with bacon

I hope you enjoy the music selection I’ve chosen for today, I’m calling it “Theme Song Thursday” Also, if you get a chance, please take a jog over to my other sites for some enlightening, funny and sometimes even educational post’s and pages; www.jamesrsirois.com “Blogging Around With The Original Domestic God” and